The B Team
by NCISgirl1527
Summary: With the A-team gone to different corners of the earth Camille is left to form a team that she will only ever be able to see as second best...the b-team. It is going to be a long road, but maybe it will turn out for the best. Post season 5 finale. Enjoy.
1. Picking Up the Peices

**This follows the Bones season five finale. I know there are going to a bunch of fics out there about it but my guess would be that they are about the people who left. I wanted to write one about Camille having to pull a new team together. Because of everyone on the team I think they next year will be hardest on her. I wanted to capture that because I am pretty sure the show will not.**

**Spoilers: The Beginning in the End, The Body on the Blue Line**

**Disclaimer: I do not own it… **

_"Even though we've changed and we're all finding our own place in the world, we all know that when the tears fall or the smile spreads across our face, we'll come to each other because no matter where this crazy world takes us, nothing will ever change so much to the point where we're not all still friends."_

_Unknown_

Sweets was sitting on the couch in his office. He could not believe that Booth and Brennan had gone off to different corners of the globe. He had not seen that coming at all. He wondered what had prompted it but before he could consider it further there was a knock of the door. He looked up and saw Camille looking around the door.

"Can I come in?" she asked him.

"Of course," Sweets told her. He found it interesting that she was the only member of the team that ever came to see him voluntarily. On the other hand he knew the others all had someone else they could turn to.

"Can you talk to me as a friend and not as a shrink?" she asked him.

"Yea sure," he told her, "What's up?"

"How are you doing?" she asked him as she sat down. He looked confused for a moment before realizing what she was talking about.

"It's hard," he told her honestly, "I asked her to marry me a couple of weeks ago."

Camille looked at the younger man with sympathy. She knew that he understood how she felt with all their friends walking away. They were the only two members of the team left at the Jeffersonian. The two sat in silence for a little while considering all that had transpired over the past days.

"I just can't believe they all walked away," Sweets spoke breaking the silence. "I thought we had all formed strong bonds as a team. Now three members of it have decided they are just going to disappear for a year. Where does that leave the rest of us?"

Camille looked at him and realized from his comment that he did not know about Hodgens and Angela's departure, which was set for early the next day. "We are in a bit of a hole," Camille admitted, "especially because Hodgens and Angela informed me they are going to Paris for a year."

"What?" Sweets asked alarmed, "When did this happen?"

"They told me about it at the airport today after everyone else had left," Camille told Sweets.

"What happens to the Jeffersonian team?" he asked her considering what everyone leaving meant for her.

"I have to build a new team from the ground up," Camille said resignedly.

"What happens when everyone comes back in a year?" Sweets asked.

"I don't know," Camille told him, "They clearly expect to come back to their jobs like nothing has changed. I don't know if I can do that."

"You don't know if you can do it professionally or you don't know if you can do it personally?" he asked her slipping in to shrink mode for a moment.

"What do you mean?" she asked him not quite following the question. Camille ran her fingers through her hair. She was tired. It had been a very long day.

"Well," he said slowly trying to figure out how to continue, "Are you not sure whether you can find people willing to only work for a year or are you not sure you can handle them all coming back a year as if nothing has changed?"

"I don't know," she admitted, "Maybe both. I doubt there are very many people who would work under those conditions."

"And personally," Sweets asked chancing it. He did not know how much she wanted to share right now. He also knew that most of her friends had gotten on a plane to some foreign city and so her options for people to talk to were limited.

"I don't know about personally," she told him. She knew he had lapsed into shrink mode but for now she decided to let it slide. They all had their own ways of coping. "When they come back, if they come back, they are going to continue as if they were just on extend vacation…" It was a guess but she was pretty sure that was how it would play out in a year.

"You on the other hand will have had to go through a year of training new people and learning to trust them," Sweets continued for her. "They left you in a very uncomfortable position didn't they?" It was so strange that a team that had been working together and bonding for four years could shatter so quickly. They had become each other's best friends and in some cases more than that. He did not know how they could all just walk away.

"That's one way to put it," Camille replied a little dully.

"Are you going to do it?" he asked her a little concerned that she would say no.

"Am I going to do what?" she replied confused.

"Stay and build a new team and see what happens in a year," he clarified.

"Yes," she replied. No matter what happened to the team she loved the Jeffersonian. It had been her home for four years and even if everybody else was going to walk away, she was not. It had never crossed her mind to leave. She knew the next year would have dark patches but it would be a storm she was willing to weather.

"Are you going to continue working with the FBI?" Sweets asked trying to make it a question of professional interest, but he knew by the look Camille gave him that he had failed. He really wanted to know because he was an FBI psychologist. If the FBI and the Jeffersonian split he and Camille would not be able to work together at all, and he would not be able to help the new team work out its kinks.

"I am going to do my best to keep the arrangement in place," Camille told him. They both knew that was the most definitive answer she could give him at the moment. "Thank you," she told him as she stood up, "for your help."

"Anytime," Sweets responded sincerely. "Good night."

"Good night," Camille told him as she closed behind her. Outside the office she leaned against the wall for a moment. Talking to Sweets had helped her sort out her priorities at the current moment. She still had a lot of things to work out but they were for another day. It was time to get to bed. After all, she started had to hunting for employees in the morning.

**There is chapter one. There will be more to follow. I love Bones to death and have for a long time, but I am worried that they have dug a hole they can't get out of. I think there are way to pull it off but I don't know if the producers will go there…Anyway…**

_**Please tell me what you thought of this…**_


	2. The New Beginning

**_Chapter 2. I am glad that you guys liked the first chapter. I was glad that it was received so positively. Anyway here is chapter two. One more thing before I start: I am sure you have figured out that I will have to introduce several OC's so don't get mad at me for that. Okay?_**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own character I did not create.**_

_**Spoilers: The Beginning in the End, Pain at Heart**_

"_What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from."_

_T.S. Eliot_

Camille sat at her desk running her fingers through her hair. She had been looking through resumes for a good part of the last five hours. There were dozens and dozens of promising scientists but Camille was stuck. She knew what her problem was.

She was comparing every forensic anthropologist to Brennan. She was comparing every specialist to Hodgins. She was comparing every artist to Angela. She was comparing every assistant to Zack, the pre-serial killer version.

She needed to stop that. She knew that she would never find anyone as skilled or analytical as Brennan or Zack. She would never find someone who could compare to Hodgins or Angela either. And looking at them as a team, there was nothing that could ever compare to the team they had had. There was a level of trust with everyone on the team. It took months and years to build that up. How could she start off with no one that she trusted? There needed to be a base to work from…

Camille paused. There was one person who might be qualified to work on the team. She pulled out her cell phone, and dialed a phone number. The phone rang several times before someone picked it up and Camille was about to hang up when a female voice answered.

"Katharine," the voice said.

"It's Camille," Camille said not entirely sure how to start this conversation because she had not talked to Katharine in a couple of months.

"Hey Camille," Katharine replied, "It's been a while. What's up?"

"Are you still looking for a job?" Camille asked deciding to just go for it because foreplay would add nothing to the conversation.

"Yea," Katharine replied slowly, "Why?"

"Good," Camille replied, "Can you be at the Jeffersonian in half an hour?"

"Sure," Katharine answered. She was not entirely sure what was going on but she did not really mind. She was a go with the flow kind of person.

"Great I will see you then," Camille said.

"See you then," Katharine returned as they both hung up their phones.

Camille leaned back in her chair for a moment. She had met Katharine about two years ago right after Zack had left the Jeffersonian. Actually that was why she had met Katharine in the first place. Katharine and Zack had been dating at the time and actually as far a Camille knew they still were.

Katharine was fully qualified for a job at the Jeffersonian, and her loyalty appealed to Camille as good quality for a team member to have. That and Katharine was the only forensic person in the tri-state area that Camille knew and trusted, who needed a job. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Camille looked up to see Katharine standing in the doorway.

"Come in," Camille told the other woman politely. She sat up a little straighter and rearranged a few things on her desk out of habit. That was just what she did before she had professional conversations in her office.

"Thank you," Katharine said sitting down in one of the chairs in front of Camille's desk.

Camille looked Katharine up and down. She had to give the girl credit. Katharine was wearing a black and white striped collared shirt and black pants. The outfit would have been perfectly acceptable for a job interview and given that Camille had given her next to no lead-time that was impressive. Another good quality in an employee.

"I don't know how much you know about what is going on with the Jeffersonian team right now," Camille began, "I assume you know Hodgins and Angela will be gone for a year." Katharine's nod confirmed that suspicion. "Booth, Brennan, and Daisy will also be gone for a year. This requires a lot of new hires." Camille paused for a moment. "Would you like a job at the Jeffersonian?"

"What position?" Katharine inquired more for curiosity's sake than anything else. She would take any job the Jeffersonian offered her.

"Lab assistant," Camille replied, "The position Zack had."

Katharine nodded. "I would love the job, but couldn't you get in trouble for choosing me given that I don't have much of a background in the field," Katharine replied, "It could be considered favoritism."

"First of all you graduated the top of you class in both college and high school," Camille reminded her, "so that gives you an excellent background and the lack of field work is not your fault as I understand it."

Katharine smirked. Crime labs were always more than a little hesitant to hire her when they found out she was dating a serial killers assistant. They also had a tendency to bring up the fact that her sister had been fired for breaking the seal on evidence.

"Second of all I don't think anyone is going to get on my case for it. What could they do? Fire me?" Camille explained seeing the irony, "If they do that they have absolutely no one on the Jeffersonian team." Katharine laughed. "Anyway," Camille considered on a more serious note, "I am considering you partially because of your background but also because I know I can trust you."

"I don't follow," Katharine said not sure how that could help her get a job.

"If I was only hiring one new person it would be different," Camille explained, "but I have to build a whole new team. I need someone on that team I can trust."

Katharine nodded a little proud that Camille trusted her. She had always looked up to everyone on the Jeffersonian team, but especially Camille and Brennan.

"So would you like the job?" Camille asked. She had been going to hire Katharine anyway but the impromptu interview had worked in Katharine's favor.

"Of course," Katharine replied quickly.

"Welcome to the team," Camille said as they both stood up and shook hands. Katharine could not help but smile. Camille smiled at the younger woman's enthusiasm. 'One down,' she though to herself, 'three to go.'

_**So how did you like chapter two? Please review but one thing before you do that:**_

_**Katharine is my recurring character who wanders in and out of my Bones (and CSI NY) stories. She is Zack's girlfriend (and Aiden Burn's little sister on CSI NY). She is also friends with the other members of the team. Just for the record. Anyway please review. **_


	3. Cleaning House

_**Chapter 3. I am doing the best I can with this. Honestly I am. I know that a there are probably going some people who do not like what I am doing with it but in the end it is my story so there. The reason I am adding so many OCs is that I A. need to be able to manipulate characters with out it being considered OOC and B. I cannot write any of the lab techs half way competently so I am not even going to try. Not today. **_

_**As for Katharine having the same name as Booth's girlfriend…Yea I missed that episode of Bones so I forgot he had a girlfriend named Katharine…The other thing is that my Katharine was here first so there…**_

_**Now please enjoy the story.**_

_**Disclaimer: I own Katharine not the other two.**_

_**Spoilers: The Beginning in the End**_

"_I watch out my window as the planes take off into space. Oh, that I could fly away and start fresh. But I must realize that fresh starts also come in the pretty wrapped gift called 'tomorrow.'"_

_Unknown_

Camille stood up on the forensics platform surveying the lab. It had been a week since everyone had gone their separate ways. No one had been in contact with her at all except for Booth. He had sent her an email asking how she was doing and wondering what was going on. She appreciated that he remembered she was still back home, and she had replied quickly. He had not replied to her yet.

Camille, Katharine, and Sweets had spent the past four days cleaning out the offices and packing their friends' things into boxes. It was a long and tedious process that was less than enjoyable. On Monday they had processed Hodgins' office. On Tuesday they had processed Angela's office. On Wednesday and Thursday they had cleaned out Brennan's office. That one took longer because it was much bigger than the others. Today was Friday and they had opted to clean out Booth's FBI office rather than let some stranger do it.

Katharine appeared with Sweets several minutes later and they all set off for Booth's office together. When they reached it they all stared at the door for a moment. They were all waiting for someone to tell them that they didn't have to do this. As in the days before Katharine reached forward to open the door. It swung open and they moved inside.

Sweets walked over to filing cabinets and began sorting out the files that were FBI cases and therefore needed to be returned to the Bureau. He set aside the things that were more personal. They would go into one of the cardboard boxes. Camille began working on the draws in the desk. She knew Booth kept some of his most private things in his desk and did not want either one of the people with degrees in psychology seeing it. Katharine had gone to work taking all the wall decorations down and placing them gently in yet another cardboard box.

They worked in silence for nearly an hour. Camille had spent most of the time going through a desk draw full of photos. At first she had thought they were just pictures of Parker with the occasional pictures of the team but near the bottom she was surprised. There were pictures that she had not seen in a very long time.

"Is that Booth? Katharine asked looking over Camille's shoulder at the picture the later was holding.

"Yes," Camille said with a smile, "That was taken the summer he was sixteen."

"How do you know that?" Sweets asked curiously as he walked over to look at the picture.

"Because that," Camille said pointing to the girl Booth had his arm around, "Is me." Camille and Katharine both smiled at the picture and Sweets assuming it was a girl thing was smart enough not to ask. Camille was surprised that he kept that photo for as long as he had. Of course she still had a copy of that picture too, but she had always been convinced that she was slightly more invested in that relationship than he had been. He had cared about her and she would never doubt that, but in the end he had been a sixteen year old boy. She placed in the box and continued processing the drawer.

Katharine finished removing the wall decorations not long after that conversation. Looking for something else to do her eyes lit upon a collection of photos on the desk. She walked over and examined them more carefully. What interested her was that there was not just one photo of the team. There were several photos: one of him and Brennan, one of Camille and Michelle, and one of Hodgins and Angela. Katharine gathered all the photos up and set them in a box.

Turning back to look at the desk again she realized that there was another row of pictures behind the first. There was a shot of Daisy and Sweets, which intrigued Katharine because he had never really seemed to show that much interest in either one of the aforementioned people. To the left of that shot however was one that Katharine found even more interesting: a photo of her and Zack.

Katharine smiled at the photo. She had come to see Booth almost as an older brother because he teased her every chance he got. It was nice to see that he cared enough about her to have a photo on his desk. It made her feel like part of the team and she like that feeling. Still smiling, she set the photos in the box.

They worked for several more hours before Camille glanced down at her watch and declared that it was time for lunch. Katharine and Sweets both agreed with her and the three of them set off for the diner.

-0-0-0-0-0-

"You know I find it interesting that we go to the same places Booth and Brennan visited," Sweets started. He was half waiting for one of the other two to cut him off but when neither one did. "It's like we want to feel close to them and so we go—" That was where Katharine cut him off.

"When you are talking about you," Katharine pointed out, "you probably should not be speculating."

"Now I find it interesting that you cut me off to point that out," Sweets told her.

"Look don't shrink me okay," Katharine told him annoy, "I have a degree in psychology too."

"Look guys," Camille told them deciding to stop the bickering before one or the other of them said something they regretted. "We have a whole knew team coming on Monday. Tensions are going to be high as it is. Don't start arguing with each other now."

Sweets and Katharine both apologized and Camille made a mental note of how to get psychologists to stop arguing.

After several minutes of sitting in silence there was a mutual decision that it was time to go back to the office. They paid the check and left.

There was not much talk in the office for the rest of the afternoon but when they left for the evening the office stood empty. All of Booth's things had been moved into file boxes and the boxes had been put into a storage locker with those from the other offices.

They looked at the office for a long moment before Katharine flipped off the lights and pulled the door shut behind them. On Monday they would start working cases again and with a new team that would prove to be interesting.

_**Well next chapter you will meet the new team. I really hope that you like this. Anyway please tell me what you think. I will at least consider any suggestions. Please review. **_


	4. Starting Over

_**Chapter 4. Hello. I did not die in case I worried you with the lack of posting. I was just on vacation so I guess I was dead to the world. Anyway enough chitchat here is the chapter. **_

_**Disclaimer: Camille is not mine. Everyone else in this chapter is. Get over it.**_

_**Spoilers: The Beginning in the End**_

"_We trained hard, but it seemed every time we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency and demoralization."_

_~Petronii Arbitri Satyricon AD 66~_

Camille looked into the mirror on her office wall and sighed. She ran her fingers through her hair for probably the twelfth time that morning and studied the reflection. Though she took a certain pride in her appearance she was not a vain woman. Today she was wearing a professional looking green turtleneck with black pants and a black jacket. Her dark hair was tie back in a tight knot.

It occurred to her that this was an outfit she had not worn in a very long time. For many years she had work an outfit like this work, but in the past years she had stopped. Angela had persuaded her a while back that dresses were much more fun and they all knew who the boss was anyway. Of course the implied statement in that sentence was that she was not the boss in anything but name.

Strangely that had never bothered her very much. The way she saw it, the team would follow Brennan to the end of the earth regardless of what she did. So she had adopted a 'if you can't beat them…join them' attitude. She was perfectly happy to become a little less than the boss if it meant being a part one of the best teams on the east coast.

That was all different now. She was going to have to play the boss again and so she once again dressed like it. With one final tug at her jacket she left her office and walked out into the central area of the lab. The members of her new team would be there shortly and she should be there to greet them.

She slid her ID card through the reader and made her way up the stairs. As surveyed the room she realized for the first time that she was not alone. Turning around she saw a young man standing in the doorway to the lab. Camille recognized him as one of her new hires and descended the stairs so she could greet him.

"Dr. Saroyan," he greeted her politely holding out his hand.

"Dr. Webber," she replied just as politely.

"I apologize for being early," he explained to her, "but I haven't lived here very long and I was not sure what the traffic would be like."

"That is quiet alright," Camille told him with a smile. She had liked Daniel Webber when she had met with him for the job interview and she had liked him now. He was a qualified scientist but he had mostly been below the radar because he was not overly assertive. He was a quiet and polite man with dark brown eyes that looked like they had seen to much pain already.

"Hey Ca," Katharine called as she walked into the lab. Then she caught sight of Daniel and changed directions immediately, "Dr. Saroyan."

"Hello Katharine," Camille greeted the new lab assistant. "This is Dr. Daniel Webber. He will be taking over Hodgins spot." Camille added the last part only hesitantly but was please when Katharine did not let any prejudice cloud her politeness.

"Hello Dr. Webber," Katharine told him as they shook hands. "I'm Katharine Burn. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine," Daniel assured her and Katharine smiled.

"Hello everyone," a new and very feminine voice greeted them all, "I'm Elsie Dogood."

"Hello Miss. Dogood," Camille greeted the woman noting that Katharine's eyes had narrowed significantly. "This is Dr. Webber and Dr. Burn," Camille told the newest arrival.

"Hello Dr. Webber," Elsie said she walked over and shook his hand.

"Hello," he told her with a slightly more force smile than he had given Katharine. Elsie then turned to Katharine.

"Burn," she said coolly and her voice carried no trace of the friendliness it had carried just a moment ago.

"Dogood," Katharine replied equally warmly.

"I take it you two know each other," Camille said looking at the two young women.

"Yes," they replied at the same time each shooting a glare at the other.

"Right," Camille said deciding that this was a conversation better put off for later. That was a lucky choice because at that moment the new Forensic Anthropologist walked though the door looking like the King of the Lab.

"Dr. Saroyan," the older man greeted her seriously.

"Dr. Cramer," she returned in a tone identical to his. Her words were professional and carried no warmth whatever. Her interview with Matthew Cramer had told her that was his preferred type of interaction. He also preferred to be the boss, but that was not going to happen.

"Alright now that everyone is here," Camille started, "I will show you around the facility and then..." Her voice drifted off as she watched the doors open and a woman walked in.

"Are you Dr. Camille Saroyan?" the woman asked not bothering with any greetings. Her tone was all business.

"Yes," Camille replied matching the other woman's tone, "Who are you?"

"I am Special Agent Angeline Bennett," the woman replied calmly while flashing her badge in Camille's face for effect.

"What can The Jeffersonian do for you today Agent Bennett?" Camille asked with a layer of politeness covering her lingering annoyance at the FBI, who had recently told her they no longer needed The Jeffersonian's assistance.

"The FBI needs help on a case and they decided that you were the people to help," Agent Bennett replied. Her eyes flitted across the members of the new team and her tone clearly expressed her skepticism at the choice of her superiors.

Camille knew that as a trained investigator Agent Bennett would have picked up on the resentment between Katharine and Elise because it was about thick enough to cut with a knife. There was also the 'Kind of the World' feeling that Dr. Cramer was still giving off. They could not look like a competent team.

"Now that is really rather interesting because," Camille pause considering what she was about to say and decided better of saying it in front of everyone, "Can we discuss this in my office?"

_**There it is. Did you like it? I did. Please tell me because no one really has since chapter one if memory serves. Please review. Thanks.**_


	5. Interesting

_**Chapter 5. Well here is chapter 5. I hope that you like it. It was a rather fun chapter to write. Anyway here it is.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Camille.**_

_**Spoilers: None what so ever. **_

_There are few, if any, jobs in which ability alone is sufficient. Needed, also, are loyalty, _

_sincerity, enthusiasm and team play._

_William B. Given, Jr._

"May I ask you what is going on?" Camille asked as soon as she and Angeline entered her office and closed the door.

"The Bureau decided that you would be useful in solving a certain crime that has fallen under their jurisdiction," Angeline explained, "They sent me as a liaison to replace," she paused, "succeed Agent Booth."

"Alright," Camille replied, "Would we be able to maintain the relationship after this case is closed."

"If you solve this case I will do what I can," Angeline replied calmly.

Camille smiled. This woman was excellent at getting what she wanted. "Very well," Camille replied, "When do we start?"

"Today?" Angeline suggested hopefully, "However tomorrow would be suitable as well if you need time with your team."

"I think I will take you up on that one," Camille replied glancing towards the door.

"Very well," Angeline replied, "I will see you tomorrow at nine o'clock to brief you on the case. With that the detective turned and left the office.

"Well then," Camille said to herself as she left the office too.

"What did she want?" Katharine asked immediately.

"We have a job with the FBI starting tomorrow," Camille informed the team. That was all they needed to know about the whole affair. The rest of it was irrelevant.

"Cool," Katharine replied with a looked at the others who, with the exception of Daniel, did not look particularly excited. "That will be interesting. What is up now?"

"Would you and Ms. Dogood mind coming with me for a few minutes?" Camille asked knowing that she needed to address this problem before it got any further out of hand. "Dr. Webber, Dr. Cramer will you excuse us for a moment?" Camille asked as she led the two young women to her office and closed the door again. "What is going on between you two?"

"We went to," Katharine started before Elise cut in.

"Stop it you are going to tell it all wrong," Elise told angrily, "You were always jealous of me."

"I was going to say that we went to high school together," Katharine replied annoyed, "And I was never jealous of you."

"Okay," Camille said closing her eyes briefly, "Katharine can you go out into the hall? I think we will need to do this separately."

"Of course," Katharine replied politely. She may despise Elise with every fiber of her being, but Cam's respect meant a lot to her and she would loose that if she acted irresponsibly. She also did not exactly have what you would call job security at the current moment so she exited into the hall without a fuss.

"Ms. Dogood," Camille said politely but firmly, "Would you like to explain your side of the conflict."

"Well we were in high school together," Elise explained. "If I remembered we had two classes together: Art and Science. I was much better than her at art and worse than her in science. She took it personally and felt it necessary to show me up on everything we did in science. She was always jealous of me. I was popular and had a lot of friends and a boyfriend. She just didn't have those things. And…no never mind."

"Ms. Dogood," Camille told the woman, "I really need to know all of this because other wise I cannot hope to build a strong team."

"Alright," Elise said seriously, "I don't like to speak badly about people, but she was vulgar at times. She swore and read all these mystery novels with gruesome plots. I think her sister is a cop. That might have influenced it. I never really liked her sister either. She was-"

"That's enough thank you," Camille told Elise, "Can you go wait in the hall and tell Dr. Burn to come in?"

"Of course," Elise said as she floated out. A few seconds later, Katharine walked into the office and closed the door.

"Okay here is the short version of why I don't like Elise because I am assuming she gave you the long version of why she doesn't like me," Katharine said to Camille. "She and I were in high school. She was from some fancy expensive part of New York. I don't actually remember where any more, and I was born and raised in Brookline. She destroyed me in art and always thought that I tried to show her up in science."

"Did you?" Camille asked hoping that Katharine did not take the question personally.

"No," Katharine replied, "I had to work my but off if I wanted a chance a college scholarship, which I really needed. I worked hard in everything."

"She says you were jealous of her," Camille revealed as to allow Katharine to defend herself.

"She was very pretty and very popular. I was very academic," Katharine explained still rather calm, "I had no problem with that. What did have a problem with was her critiquing me at every turn and explaining that I could be a better person if this or wore that that. I was perfectly happy the way I was. I did not really want to become one of her happy all the time, perfectly upscale goons. And she never did like Aiden very much."

"You two have opposite personality types," Camille stated. The two women could not be more different because unfortunately the only thing they had in common was that they could both hold a grudge for over half a decade. "Get Dr. Dogood in here." Katharine did as she was told and the two women came to stand in front of Camille's desk.

"You two don't leave me a whole lot of options here," Camille informed them, "So your options are to work together or get fired."

"Which one of us would get fired?" Elise asked.

"Both of you," Camille responded, "so I hope for both your sakes you can figure this out." As the two women walked out, Camille ran her fingers through her hair. This was going to be a very interesting team. All she could do was pray it would be interesting in a good way.

_**Did you like it? I thought it turned out okay. Please review. **_

_**By the way. I don't own Aiden either. She is from a different crime show. You guess which one. :-p**_


	6. A Case

_**Chapter 6. So I finally figured out the case I was going to use. That was a little plot element I hadn't quite figured out…anyway. Here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Camille or Sweets.**_

_**Spoilers: None that I can think of.**_

"_Friends are helpful not only because they will listen to us, but because they will laugh at us; Through them we learn a little objectivity, a little modesty, a little courtesy; We learn the rules of life and become better players of the game"_

_~Will Durant~_

"I am so glad that I can work with you," Sweets said enthusiastically. "I think I can really help your team iron out their problems."

"I am so glad that you decided to help," Camille replied carefully, "Because two of the people I hired knew each other in high school and apparently hate each other with a rather fierce passion. Would you be willing to talk to them?"

"Of course," he replied, "that is what I am paid to do. I am paid to help people with their problems. What are their names?"

Camille shook her head. The young psychologist was so happy to be working with the Jeffersonian team that he was willing to do anything to make himself useful. "It is my new artist, Elise Dogood," Camille paused then continued, "and Katharine."

"And Katharine," Sweets repeated slowly. He was willing to help people with their problems, but he was also pretty sure that Katharine would not be either a cooperative patient or a nice one. He knew her well enough to know that she was stubborn enough to make any psychologists life difficult, and that was before you factored in the psychology degree.

"You still want to do it?" Camille asked knowing from his expression that he did not want to do anything of the sort.

"Well," Sweets said slowly, "I would love to help you except I don't really think that…"

"You want to deal with Katharine," Camille finished for him. She could understand his feelings because she did not really want to deal with Katharine and Elsie problem either.

"Well," Sweets opened his mouth to deny it, but Camille's look changed his mind, "Yes."

"I told them that they needed to work it out or I would fire both of them," Camille told him, "Does that seem like an appropriate tactic?"

"That is exactly what I would have done," Sweets said enthusiastically. "I mean, that is exactly what I would have done if I had the ability to fire them. It encourages them to work together for a common goal, which in turn causes them to realize they have more in common that they originally thought. It is a really amazing process and many psychologists have done studies on it."

"Which is really all just shrink speak for the fact that people will do amazing things for self preservation," Katharine told Camille from the doorway. Both Sweets and Camille turned to look at her.

"How long have you been there, Katharine?" Camille asked. Then there was a pause, and she shook her head. "You know what . . . never mind. Why are you standing there?"

"I am here because our much beloved Agent Bennett just brought us a bloated, rotting body," Katharine replied without missing a beat, "and she would like you to be there when she briefs the team."

"Alright then," Camille replied as she rose. "Thank you for your advice Dr. Sweets. I will be in touch with you, and I will recommend your services to the members of my team should they need assistance of that sort."

"I will see you later Dr. Saroyan," Sweets said as he to rose and followed her to the door. He headed off down one hallway, and Katharine and Camille took the other hallway back toward the platform in the center of the lab.

Camille smelled the body before she saw it. There was a putrid smell in the air that could only come from that of a rotting corpse. Camille swiped her ID card, and she and Katharine walked up the stairs to where the others were standing.

"Oh my God," Camille said as she looked at the body on the table. She was looking down at a grossly disfigured corpse. It had likely been submerged in water for several weeks before it was pulled up. In fact the figure barely looked like a human being.

However none of that was really what bothered Camille. She had worked as the coroner in two states and a cop in two more. She had seen bodies in all shapes, sizes, and conditions. Over time she had, if not gotten used to, then at least no longer become horrified at the sight of a body.

"She's just a teenager," Camille said looking down at the girl at the table. "I would guess sixteen or seventeen." She hated working cases that involved kids. She always had because it was tragic to see a young life cut short. She also knew that when a child was involved the investigation became twice as complicated because it was harder for people to be objective.

"Sixteen," Dr. Cramer told her flatly. It was much easier to the age children's bodies because they were still developing. "She's also Caucasian."

"Would you like me to brief you on the case?" Agent Bennett asked casually. If these people could figure those things out in a matter of minutes when it had taken the FBI days, she thought, then maybe they were worth a shot.

"Yes, please," Camille told the agent politely and the team turned to face Angeline.

"Well," she started looking down at the body, "the body washed up early this morning on the shores of the Potomac. One of our agents found it when he was out jogging."

"How is this your jurisdiction?" Katharine asked curiously.

"We have jurisdiction over crimes against minors," Angeline replied coolly and Katharine nodded.

"Do you have an identity?" Camille asked.

"No," Angeline replied knowing that the scientists were not going to be happy with the information she had because they had already figured all of it out.

"What do we have?" Dr. Cramer asked a little rudely.

"We know that she is sixteen, Caucasian, and female," Angeline said, pointedly ignoring his tone.

"And dead," Katharine muttered sarcastically, "It's practically a plethora of information."

_**Did you like it? Please review it. I would love it. **_


	7. A Surprise

_**Sorry it took so long guys. I had a couple of really big projects going on in school. They are done now though and I should be able to get a couple chapters up before I get some more. Anyway. Enjoy this one.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Camille**_

_**Spoilers: None**_

"_Be ready to be surprised"_

_Loesje_

"You got anything yet?" Angelene asked watching the scientists on the platform examining the body.

"Agent Bennett," Camille replied calmly not looking away from the body. "We are scientists not magicians. We need time to work with the body and understand what happened. However I assure you that standing behind us and observing the process will not speed it up at all."

"Sorry," Angelene muttered standing back a little, but still radiating impatience. In a way Camille understood. She too had been a cop and remembered the annoyance she had felt at having to sit back and let other people do the work, but that did not stop her from being annoyed at the FBI Agent.

"Dr. Burn," Camille asked her politely, "Would you please escort Agent Bennett to see Elsie and find out if she had been able to do anything with the skull?"

"I have a tentative sketch of the victim," Elise told them waltzing into the room. Camille exhaled a little annoyed. She had just lost her perfect plot to keep Angelene from breathing down her neck.

"Great," she told Elise as the young woman made her way onto the platform. "Can we see it?"

"Well remember it is only tentative," Elise told them, "but I would guess that it is pretty accurate. I mean most of my primary sketches turn out to be almost identical to the real thing, but I would never assume that—"

"Alright already," Angelene told her impatiently, "Let's see it."

"Not until you say please," Elise replied not at all put off by the other woman's rudeness.

Katharine attempted to suppress a gleeful smirk but largely failed. Camille however was not particularly amused. "Ms. Dogood," she said with a slightly forced smile, "For future reference, you will not force Agent Bennett or any other member of this team to say please or thank you before you divulge information relevant to the case." Angelene smirked, but quickly hid it as Camille turned to face her. "Agent Bennett I will ask you again to remember that impatience and rudeness will not get you very far."

Angelene did not reply however she did engage Camille in a staring contest. Neither dared to look away nor would their pride let them. They stood for several moments with each challenging the other to make a move.

"She has never broken a bone," Daniel told them looking up from the body, "Holy Shit."

"What?" Katharine asked looking from Daniel to the picture in Elise's hand, which he was staring at. In trying to hide it from Angelene, Elise had revealed it to Daniel.

"Nothing," Daniel told them shaking his head, but not moving his gaze from the face in the picture.

"Dr. Webber," Camille told him a little sternly, "I would you remind you that it is against the rules to withhold pertinent information…" Before she could finish Daniel shook his head.

"It is not pertinent," Daniel explained, "It's just that…do we have a DNA match yet?"

"No," Katharine replied, "Computer is still trying to find one." By this point everyone, even Dr. Cramer, was watching Daniel.

"May I try something?" he asked Camille respectfully.

"Go for it," she told him perplexed. She was trying desperately to figure out where this was going."

Daniel sat down at the computer and began typing furiously. Katharine stood over his shoulder watching him, and slowly the others crowded forward. He opened the page where Katharine had started the DNA analysis.

"Did you limit it to a database?" he asked her looking at the screen.

"No," she replied slightly defensively, "I had no reason to limit it."

"Limit it to the criminal database," he instructed her as she began typing, "1991 if you can."

There was a pause when she stopped talking and looked up at him. "Name," she demanded, "This is way too specific for a guess. Who are you looking for?"

"Bonnie Douglas," Daniel sighed, "she was arrested for Gulf War Protests in 1991."

"Thank you," Katharine told him typing the name in. Instantly there was a beep. Everyone looked at the monitor. "It's a particle match," Katharine told the group, "Obviously."

"Why obviously?" Elise asked.

"Because this girl was either fifteen or sixteen," Katharine replied, "That would mean she was born at least '94 or later. You do the math."

"So this is her mother," Angelene concluded, "You wouldn't happen to know the father's-"

"Alexander Douglas," Daniel replied as the blood drained from his face, "But there is no way that is possible." There was another ding.

"I beg to differ," Katharine told them, "The girl on the table is the daughter of Bonnie and Alexander Douglas."

"And she was born in 1994. Not possible." Daniel repeated, "Not possible."

"Well it clearly is," Angelene told him, "So I don't know what this girl means to you but she is defiantly dead and she is defiantly the daughter of Bonnie and Alexander Douglas."

"Could you have made a mistake?" Daniel asked turning to Katharine almost hopefully.

"No," she replied firmly, "This match is way to clean. She is their daughter."

"Oh God," Daniel said.

"Dr. Webber," Camille told him losing patience, "Will you please tell the rest of us what is going on?"

"Alexander and Bonnie live in California," he started. Angelene opened her mouth to point out that distance was not a big deal, people moved around all the time, but she stopped herself. "They had three kids."

"Did they have a daughter?" Angelene questioned.

"Yes," Daniel said slowly, "but it is not possible that…"

"I understand that knowing the victim can be painful," Camille told him, "But you have to accept it."

"No Dr. Saroyan," Daniel told her with another shake of his head, "You don't understand. It is not possible. All three of Bonnie and Alexander's kids were killed in a boating accident in 2002."

_**Maniacal laughter. Admittedly I am not sure if anyone is reading this, but if you are I left you a nice little cliffhanger. Hope you review…:-)**_


	8. A Twist

_**Chapter 8. So here is this chapter. I know you are all desperate to know what is going on in the case. So I will not talk anymore. ;-) Oh wait. Yes I will. This story will continue to run even now that the season has started. Now I will stop talking.**_

_**Disclaimer: Camille is not mine**_

_**Spoilers: The Beginning in the End**_

_What we need to do is learn to work in the system, by which I mean that everybody, every team, every platform, every division, every component is there not for individual competitive profit or recognition, but for contribution to the system as a whole on a win-win basis._

_W. Edward Deming_

"Oh dear," Elise said placing a consoling hand on Daniel's shoulder.

"I think 'oh crap' would be more appropriate," Katharine muttered as Daniel shrugged off Elise's hand.

"Swearing is never appropriate," Elise replied regally with look at Dr. Cramer, who nodded.

"I beg to differ," Katharine replied with a look at Angelene, who nodded.

Camille shook her head. The case was coming together in nasty ways as lines were being drawn between members of her team. This was not good on either count. "Dr. Burn. Ms. Dogood," Camille told them, "May I remind you of our conversation?"

"Yes, Dr. Saroyan," the two replied simultaneously.

"Good," Camille said with no hint of a smile, "Now Daniel would you explain to us how you know the victim and what you know about the case?"

"I was friends with Bonnie and Alexander in grad school," Daniel explained, "I looked after their son Simon sometimes and got to know the family really well. After grad school we kept in touch and I came to visit them. They live about fifty miles outside Carmel. I lived in the suburbs. The girls were born in 94. In 2002 the kids went out on the lake near their home but never came back. A search team found the overturned boat and a few days later Simon's body came ashore. Both girls were presumed dead as well. They were eight and Simon was twelve."

"And the lake was never dragged?" Angelene asked with no hint of sympathy or emotion whatsoever in her voice. She was not emotional when it came to her job. Some saw it as cold, but she saw it as a survival technique.

"No," Daniel replied, "This is small town California. They were presumed dead and that was all that was needed for it to become fact. That town has a sheriff and a coroner. That is the extent of their law enforcement."

"What's the girl's name?" Elise asked looking down at the victim on the table, "She deserves more than just a number."

"I don't know her name," Daniel said sadly also looking down at the girl. It almost killed him to know that he had known this girl. He had watched her grow up, and yet he could not grant her the dignity of a name.

"How can you not know?" Katharine demanded of him.

"They were twins," Daniel explained, "Are twins…"

"It just gets better and better," Angelene remarked sarcastically.

"Everybody chill," Camille told them annoyed. "Agent Bennett, calm down and drop the sarcasm a notch. Dr. Burn and Ms. Dogood stopped glaring at each other. Dr. Webber, please continue."

"What do you need?" Daniel asked with a firmer voice.

"Names and specifics of the accident if you have them," Camille told him, and though her voice had not lost its boss like quality, the edge was gone.

"Okay," Daniel replied, "The boy was named Simon. The two girls are Mary-Anne and Cassandra, Cassie for short. I can find the articles about the accident for you, but it will take a few hours. I don't have copies."

"So this is what we've got," Angelene summed up, "A dead sixteen year old girl who supposedly died when she was eight. A connection to a case in California eight years ago that was never really a case. A dead brother. A missing twin who may or may not be dead."

"In short we have a case," Katharine concluded, "That covers the entire country and nearly a decade."

"And has more questions than I have dollars in my bank account," Daniel added.

"There is also the potential for this case to turn into PR hell," Camille threw in. There were several long moments of silence. Finally Camille broke the trance. "Dr. Cramer," she told her, "Please resume you examination of the body. We need anything that can tell us how this girl ended up here eight years after she supposedly die, and we need to know if there is a chance her sister is still alive."

"Very well," he replied walking back to the body and beginning his work again.

"Ms. Dogood," Camille said turning to the artist. "I need anything you can get me on the accident and the investigation that followed. There probably won't be much, but try anyway."

Lastly Camille turned to Daniel and Katharine. "Does the family still live outside Carmel?" Camille asked him.

"I think so, but why?" Daniel asked. Then understanding flashed into his eyes. "No. I won't do it."

"You have to," Camille replied with no hint of emotion.

"Have to what?" Katharine asked exasperated because she had failed to follow the conversation.

"You and Dr. Webber," Camille explained, "Are going to Carmel California to dig up anything you can on this case." She hated giving that order, hated reopening wounds the family must have been trying to close for nearly a decade, but she knew it was the only way. If they wanted to figure out how the girl had died, then they were going to have to dig up the figurative skeletons that had buried in Carmel for eight years.

"Are you saying that the sheriff didn't do his job?" Daniel responded with anger and confusion overriding logical thought.

"First of all, I am your boss Dr. Webber," Camille replied with a steely edge in her voice. She was no longer being nice. If she had to become the cold hearted boss to get this case moving then that was what she was going to do. "And second of all that is not what I am saying."

"Then what are you saying?" Daniel asked, his tone hovering between snide and diplomatic.

"I am saying," Camille retuned with no anger or resentment only firmness, "That eight years ago this was an accident that happened in a small town. Now we know it was a homicide and quite likely a double kidnapping. If it is in fact a kidnapping then one of the victims has already been killed. If the other girl is still alive and you want there to be any chance of her staying that way, then we need to know what happened in Carmel eight years ago. Clear enough?"

"Crystal," Daniel replied.

_**Do you want to know what's gonna happen? Then review. Please.**_


	9. Flight 1647

_**Chapter 9. This is a lighter fluffier chapter because the story is about to get rather dark so I hope you enjoy it. **_

_**Spoilers: None**_

_**Disclaimer: Actually I do own all the characters in this chapter. **_

"_Experience, travel - these are as education in themselves"_

_Euripides_

"Stop sulking," Katharine told Daniel as she looked up from her novel. They were sitting on flight 1647 from Washington Dulles International Airport to San Francisco International Airport.

"I am not sulking," Daniel replied annoyed.

"Yes," Katharine told him firmly, "You are. Now stop it."

"I am not sulking," Daniel replied still staring out the window.

Katharine sighed and closed her book. "Daniel," she told him in a polite tone, "We are going to be on this plane for another five hours, and then in the car together for another two."

"What is your point?" Daniel asked.

"The point is that I do not care if you do not like what we came here to do," she told him, "You will do it, and you will be pleasant about it."

Finally Daniel turned to look at her. "So you want me to be happy about going to visit friends with the sole purpose of tearing apart their lives again?" Daniel asked her incredulously.

"No where did I tell you to be happy," Katharine reminded him, "I only ever said pleasant."

Daniel looked at her for a long moment and shook his head. "I just hate doing this to them."

"So do I," Katharine told him, "I hate that we have to go in there and tell them its not simple and clear cut. I hate that we have to go in and tell them that one of their daughters survived only to be killed eight years later. I hate that we might give them false hope for their other daughter only to have to tell them that she is dead too."

"And yet here you are," Daniel remarked. There was no particular hidden message in his tone. It was just a simple statement of fact.

"Yep," Katharine replied with almost a smile, "Here I am for two reasons. One. It is my job, no matter how much I wish it were not. Two. We both know this is a necessary process if we want a prayer of finding the other sister alive."

"Doesn't mean I like it," Daniel told her.

"Never said you had to," Katharine replied succinctly. There was a pause. "You do realized why Camille…Dr. Saroyan sent both of us right?"

"To keep me from bailing on the project," Daniel suggested.

"No," Katharine told him then considered, "Well yes, but—"

"To make sure no one was working with out a partner," Daniel interrupted her.

"No," Katharine replied and then was forced to amend, "Well yes, but—"

"To—" Daniel started again.

"No," Katharine told him forcefully, "My turn!" He raised an eyebrow at her as a bemused expression spread over his face. He had been bating her, and they both knew it. "We can now play good cop/bad cop."

"How do you mean?" Daniel asked her.

"You are here to comfort and take care of the family," she replied, "I am here to ask the tough questions and be unpleasant if necessary."

"Dr. Saroyan actually told you to do that?" Daniel questioned her.

"Yes…well no…sort of," Katharine explained, "It was implied."

"When?" he asked.

"In the conversation when she told us we were going…coming…whatever…" Katharine finished a little exasperatedly.

"I didn't hear it," Daniel told her.

"Well of course you didn't," she replied with a smirk, "Men are impervious."

"Hang on a second," he told her annoyed. There was a pause. "This is my punishment for baiting you isn't it?"

"Part of it," she replied with a smirk.

Daniel groaned. "What is the rest of it?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Katharine replied.

Daniel leaned back in his seat and sighed. "Darn you," he told her.

"And this is why I get to play bad cop," she informed. Of course it was not the only reason. Having Daniel play bad cop with people he knew and cared about would just be a recipe for disaster. Anyway, she was not actually sure that Daniel could work up enough anger to play bad cop with anyone.

"Why do I get the sense that you enjoy playing bad cop more than any sane person should?" Daniel asked her.

"Now Daniel," Katharine chastised, "It is not nice to imply that people are insane when you have only just met them."

Daniel scoffed at that. "I have spent an hour on a plane with you already. I think that should count for something, and as you pointed out earlier we will have some good quality time today."

Katharine grimaced at that. Her plan to draw Daniel out of his sulky mood had worked perhaps a little to well. He was starting to return her jibes. On the other hand that could be fun. Who knew what she could learn about him in the next seven hours.

"Well then," she told him, "Let's talk about something deep and revealing." Daniel's eyes widened, and Katharine smirked.

"Okay then," Daniel said recovering himself, "First crush." Katharine froze. She had been kidding.

"I don't remember," she replied automatically, silently cursing when she realized that, in this context, that answer was not particularly believable.

"Really," Daniel asked her, apparently agreeing with Katharine's silent assessment of her answer.

"I cannot answer that question in a professional context," she tried hoping that excuse would work better than the first. Unfortunately for her, it did not. "You know what fine," she told him finally cracking under Daniel's calm yet soul-penetrating gaze, "William McGreggor."

"And…" Daniel prompted. She had made such a big deal out of it that there had to be a story behind it.

"He was dating Elise," she replied without thinking. She had not meant to tell him that, but there was something about him that instilled confidence.

"And that is why you don't like her," Daniel assumed.

"Just one of the many reasons," Katharine told him with an overly fake smile.

"Nice to know you don't hold a grudge," he replied sarcastically.

Katharine just smiled. "Me? Never."

_**Don't you love those two? So next chapter will probably involve real Bones characters… Did you like this one? Please Review. **_


	10. Creativity

**Chapter 10. Well here we are at the tenth chapter. I usually count any story that gets this far lucky…and this one is just beginning. So I know you really want to really the plot rather than my ramblings…Have fun…**

**Spoilers: None**

**Disclaimers: Strangely for this story I do not own any character in this chapter.**

_"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower."_

_Steve Jobs_

"Creative solution," Sweets remarked walking into Camille's office.

"What?" she replied looking up at the psychologist who had just joined her. She was slightly shocked by his presence. Sweets was not usually one to show up unexpectedly or to dispense with pleasantries.

"Sending Katharine to the other side of the country so you didn't have to fire anyone," Sweets explained.

Camille suddenly became very interested in newspaper articles on her desk. "I don't know what you're talking about," she told him calmly. That was a flat out lie. She knew exactly what he was talking about.

"No," he told her, "Really it isn't a bad idea. Neither one of them has made any move to find the middle ground. Am I right?"

Camille sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Yes," she admitted.

"That means that you have to either start moving towards enforcing your mandate or admit that it was an empty threat," Sweets told her almost excitedly.

"It was not an empty threat," Camille replied with a look of distaste that was directed not at the psychologist in front of her but at the statement she had just uttered.

"No," Sweets agreed considering, "It wasn't, but you don't want to follow through on it."

"Of course I don't want to follow through on it," Camille replied annoyed. She had not liked the decision when she had made it because she had little doubt that neither one of the women in question would change their opinion of the other for anything other than an act of God.

That had left her in a tricky situation. If the two could not work together than at least one of them would have to be fired. The logical choice would be to fire Elise because she was hired last. Unfortunately that would raise questions with her superiors because the difference in hiring times was about forty-eight hours. On top of that, Camille had a personal relationship with Katharine before hiring her. That would also raise questions. So in the hope that no one would get fired, she had threatened both of them. That had failed…miserably…

"So you sent Katharine to the other side of the country," Sweets finished a little too excitedly for the situation, "That way they can't fight and so you don't have to fire them."

"Sending Katharine with Daniel made the most sense for the case," Camille replied calmly emphasizing the last three words.

"Really?" Sweets asked a little skeptically.

"Yes," Camille told him, "It did." She liked Sweets most of the time, but he did get on her nerves once in while. This was turning out to be one of those times.

Sending Katharine with Daniel had made more than a little sense. She was a member of the team who could collect evidence and facts for the case. She would also be able to keep Daniel more or less in line. No one else in the lab really fit into both categories. That was the reason she had sent Katharine. At least that was what she was going to tell the rest of the team. They did not need to know the rest.

"Of course," Sweets replied understanding the Camille was not saying anything else on the subject. "But—"

Camille cut him off by holding up a single finger. "Did you come for a purpose Dr. Sweets?" she asked him.

"Yes," Sweets replied a little flustered, but covering quickly, "I wanted to check on how the team was working together." There was a pause in which he realized that this was not perhaps the most graceful transition that had been made. Quickly he added, "And how the case was progressing. What you're working on now looks very interesting."

Camille had to restrain a smile. "Dr. Sweets," she told him with a small shake of the head, "I am working on paperwork."

"Well then how is the rest of the case going," Sweets asked making an attempt at turning the conversation to something a little more neutral. "It sounds like and interesting one."

"It is," Camille agreed with another nod, "And I respect you're attempt at beating around the bush, but if you want to ask about the team just do it."

"OK," Sweets replied with more grace than a lot of people would have had, "How is the team working out?"

Camille leaned back in her chair and dropped the pretense of working on paperwork for a second time. "The team is working out okay," she told him after a moment of consideration. "Except for Katharine and Elise's little argument."

"Of course," Sweets agreed, "Except for that."

"And Agent Bennett lacks respect for the scientific community in general and has no patience when it comes to waiting for results," Camille added.

Sweets nodded again.

"And Daniel is going off the tracks a little bit because he knows the victim in this case," she amended again, "but I'm sure Katharine will keep him on track."

"Yes," Sweets murmured, "Of course she will."

"And Dr. Crammer," Camille added, "still shows a certain disregard for the other people in the lab, but I think that is just because he doesn't know anyone very well."

"Definitely," Sweets agreed.

"So yea," Camille finished, "Except for that they are getting along famously, and I guess every team starts out with problems. They'll get through them."

It was a vastly transparent conversation and they both knew it. Their tone was signifying that what was going on was no big deal, and that it could easily be worked though. They both knew it would take more than that.

"I find it interesting that you say 'they'll work through it' instead of including yourself in the team," Sweets told her after a moment.

"Did I?" Camille asked blandly, "I didn't notice."

She had noticed, maybe even done it deliberately. She felt no connection to her team right now. They were just a group of talented people working under her. It would take time for them to be anything more.

_**Did you like it? I though it was fun. Please tell me. Reviews make me smile. **_


	11. Friendly Chatter

_**Chapter 11. Really long time no see…sorry about that….I was rather busy but I am back now so you can be happy again… ;-) Anyway here is chapter 11. I hope you like it… Enjoy.**_

_**Disclaimer: I own both Daniel and Katharine**_

_**Spoilers: Um well Heroes but that is a CSI NY episode so…**_

"_We cannot tell the exact moment a friendship is formed; as in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over; so in a series of kindnesses, there is at last one that makes the heart run over."_

_Unknown_

"This is just cruel and unusual punishment," Daniel muttered to his companion as they sped down the coast of California. Katharine had insisted they take the shore roads instead of the highway because, while they were a little longer, she had always loved the smell of the ocean. Daniel had been only too happy to oblige because the longer the drive was, the longer he could put off confronting Bonnie and Alexander.

"What is?" Katharine replied tapping her fingers to the Martina McBride song that was playing on the radio.

"Making me drive and making me listen to country music," he replied with a grimace.

"I can drive," Katharine offered, "but I cannot promise that I will not get lost."

"Thanks," Daniel replied sarcastically, "but that wasn't that part that was bothering me." In all honesty, driving did not bother him very much. It was actually kind of reassuring to be driving down the familiar roads again. He really did miss the west coast.

"What have you got against country?" she demanded looking away from the window to watch him.

"Only the fact that we are about three hundred miles north of the Entertainment Capital of the World," he replied, "and you choose to listen to the only music that is strongly linked to another city in the United States."

"Would you be happier if I made you listen to good old California Girls Katy Perry and Kelly Clarkson?" she teased him. It was very strange. She had known Daniel for a little over a week at this point, and yet she was talking with him like she had known him for forever.

"First of all, yes," he replied calmly, keeping his face straight only by concentrating on the road, "And second of all, Kelly Clarkson is from Texas."

"Okay," Katharine said slowly, processing what Daniel had just told her, "I know that, but why on earth do you?"

"My little sister," Daniel replied defensively, "she loves Kelly Clarkson."

Katherine laughed lightly. "Your sister has good taste," she told him, "how old is she?"

"Fifteen," Daniel replied fondly, "Her name's Jessica, still lives in Carmel."

"If we get this case wrapped up quickly maybe we could go visit her," she told him hoping to give him a beacon of hope on what looked like a dark horizon, "and by we, I mean you."

"You could come too," he offered diplomatically, "I think Jess would like you."

"Thank you," Katharine told him, "I do not think there is a higher praise than saying your sibling would like me." There was no hint of sarcasm in her voice, and Daniel sensed that she was being serious.

"Do you have any siblings?" he asked conversationally trying very hard to ignore slow country love song playing over the radio.

For a moment, Katharine went very still and stared unblinkingly at the road in front of them. It had been nearly five years and she still had not figured out how to answer that question. "Not anymore," she told him finally, "her name was Aiden."

"I'm sorry," Daniel replied sincerely. He did not know what he would do if he ever lost Jess. "What happened?"

"She was killed working a case for the New York Crime Lab," she explained, "The guy she was chasing beat her to death and then burned her body. That was five years ago." The real story was longer and more complicated than that, but Daniel did not need to know the details. All he, or anybody else, needed to know about Aiden was that she had died trying to rid the world of scum.

"Did they catch the guy?" Daniel asked even though he knew they must have. He could not see Katharine letting someone get away with murdering her sister.

"Yes," she said shortly.

"Did he—" Daniel started again.

"I like this song," Katharine said suddenly turning the radio up and humming along. Daniel took that as a signal for him to drop the subject and lapsed into silence as he too listened to the radio. They rode in silence for several minutes before Katherine spoke again. "I should not have jumped down you throat," she told him not looking away from the window.

"Don't worry about it," he told her, "It wasn't any of my business anyway."

"True," she told him a little pensively, "but I guess it is rather hypocritical of me to jump down your throat for it, when the entire point of us coming out here is so that I can do it to two other people."

"You have to do it," Daniel reminded her, "it is your job, and it may save a girl's life. At the very least, it will help us put a criminal in jail." There was a pause where Katharine smirked, and Daniel thought about what he had just said. "Did you deliberately set me up to do the whole try-to-convince-you-of-something-when-really-I-am-saying-exactly-what-I-need-to-hear thing?"

"Um," she said biting her lip thoughtfully as she turned away from the window, "no you did that all by yourself." They both laughed at that, and the mood in the car lightened significantly. For the next half and hour or so, they joked and teased each other while darkness fell outside their windows. Finally, Daniel's stomach growled loudly.

"Hungry are we?" Katharine asked him lightly.

"Yea," he replied, "I don't think I've eaten since we flew out of DC."

"Liar," she reminded him, "you stole at least half my food on the plane."

"Still that was hours ago," he said not bothering to deny the accusation, "Where do you want to eat?"

"I'll eat pretty much anything except southern cooking," she told him with a shrug.

"What kind of country girl are you?" he asked her.

"The kind born in New York," she replied with a roll of the eyes.

"You were born in New York?" he asked incredulously, "You don't have an accent."

"No I never have, but Aiden—Daniel, watch out," she shouted at him a headlights suddenly appeared out of the darkness heading straight for them, but it was too late for Daniel to do much of anything. Moments later they felt the impact.

_**Another cliffhanger…hehe…review if you want to know what happens…or if you liked the chapter.**_


	12. Reasurances

_**Chapter 12. I know it has been a while since I updated, but it has been under month so we should probably be counting our blessings for that…I will try to get it together and update more but I have school and other things. So I guess we will have to take what we can get. I hope you like this chapter…Enjoy.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the people you don't I own.**_

_**Spoilers: None we have not already covered.**_

"_In time of great anxiety we can draw power from our friends. We should at such times, however, avoid friends who sympathize too deeply, who give us pity rather than strength."_

_- D. Lupton_

"Have you got a moment?" Camille asked poking her head into Sweets' office.

"What?" he said surprised by her sudden appearance and nearly dropping the framed picture of Daisy that he had been holding. "Of course," he told her regaining composure and gently setting the picture on his desk before coming to sit in the chair he usually occupied. Camille sat down on the couch opposite him.

"How can I help you?" he asked her in a completely professional tone.

"In your professional opinion," Camille said slowly, carefully considering how she phrased her question, "What is the likelihood of Daniel screening his calls and ignoring mine?"

"I'm not sure," Sweets replied thoughtfully, "He is very angry about having to go dig up his friend's lives. He made that quite clear before he left, but he also understands the importance of what he is doing."

"So there is a possibility he is blocking my calls?" she asked almost hopefully because to be honest it was the best of all the possible scenarios she could come up with.

"Possibly," he agreed with a shrug. Personally he thought it was unlikely, but he was not sure why Camille wanted to know.

"What about Katharine?" Camille asked after a moment of silence.

"No," Sweets said with a speed that surprised both of them, "I mean Katharine has respect for you specifically and authority in general. She also has trouble getting a job given her association with Zack and her sister so I would doubt that she would risk the one she has. Additionally, she had no reason to be mad at you."

Camille bit her lip in consideration of what Sweets had just told her. She knew that he was right. Even if she did not know Daniel particularly well, she did know Katharine, and she trusted Katharine almost as much as trusted the members of the A team. Mentally Camille shook herself. She really needed to stop thinking of Brennan, Booth, Hodgins, and Angela as the A team, and Katharine, Daniel, Elise, Angelene, and Dr. Crammer as the B team. It was not fair to the second group nor was it particularly productive.

"What's going on?" Sweets asked her after a moment of silence.

"We set up scheduled times to call in," Camille explained, "There were supposed to call me when they got on the plane, when they land in San Francisco, and when they reached their destination."

"Okay," he said nodding, not entirely sure where this story was going.

"They never made the final check in," she finished, "and neither one of them is picking up their phone."

"That isn't good," Sweets commented realizing after he said it that Camille did not need him to tell her that.

"No," she replied, "It's not good." She paused. "In your professional opinion, what should I do?"

Sweets considered what she said for a long moment. It was not really the question that interested him. It was that it was the second time in that conversation where she had used the phrase 'in your professional opinion.'

"This is bothering you more than it normally would," Sweets told her after a moment of thought, "They have only been out of touch for what twelve hours. Normal you would wait twenty four before starting to worry."

Camille sighed. "You have a point," she told him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Sweets offered her.

"I don't know what to say," she admitted to him.

It was interesting. All the other members of the team wanted him to wave his magic wand and make everything better. They never wanted to share anything with him, which made his job very difficult. Camille was different though. She would come and talk to him voluntarily as well as offering up information about herself. He had often wondered if it was because, while everyone else on the team had someone to turn to for consolation, Camille did not.

"I would guess that it has something to do with everyone leaving," Sweets told her, watching her face for a reaction, but it remained impassive, "You had a four people to whom you were very close all disappear from your life at once. It would make a certain amount of sense if you were worried about people on your team disappearing on you."

"You make me sound controlling," Camille told him with a small laugh.

"No, not at all," he corrected hurriedly, "It is a perfectly normal reaction. In fact I would be much more worried if you were showing no signs of being affected by it."

"So what should I do about Katharine and Daniel?" she asked him finally bringing the conversation back to where it had started, though she was much calmer now then she had been when it began.

"Call them again," he told her, "then wait until they have been out of contact for twenty four hours. If nothing turns up then call in some favors in the Carmel Police Department, but I am sure you will know before then. Plus I am pretty sure you are one of Katherine's emergency contacts."

"Why do you know that?" Camille asked him because to be honest she had forgotten about it until that moment.

"It was a guess," he admitted, "but we both know that of the people she knows really well who are in DC at the moment are you, me and Zack. Zack has obvious problems. She doesn't like me. That leaves you. Plus she respects you." He added the last part almost as an afterthought, but the look on Camille's face made him glad that he had done so.

"Alright," Camille told him standing up, "I have to go back to work now, but thank you for your help."

"Any time," he told her with a smile. For the moment, things had returned to normal. He just prayed that Katharine and Daniel turned up within the next twelve hours both for their sake and that of the team members at home.

_**So what happened to Katharine and Daniel…Would you like to know? Well then you should review and then I will update quicker. :-) **_


	13. Waking Up

_**Chapter 13. I don't know how long it has been since I last updated, and I don't really care to because well…I'm not going to like the answer. Anyway, I finally got a chance to work on this chapter, and I rather like the way it turned out. I hope you like it.  
Disclaimer: Technically I do own both Daniel and Katharine.  
Spoilers: None**_

_Accidents, and particularly street and highway accidents, do not happen - they are caused.  
Ernest Greenwood_

Daniel blinked slowly at the ceiling. He could not tell where he was, and found that he had no clue how he had gotten there. Slowly he rolled over in bed trying to figure out where he was. To his surprise he found a woman sitting in a chair next to him with her feet up on his bed. He could not see her face because it was obscured by a book, but he had a feeling he knew who it was. A few moments later, his suspicions were confirmed when the woman lowered her book and spoke.

"About time," Katharine told him with a small smile, "doctors expected you to be up hours ago."

"How long have I been out?" he asked her a little worriedly.

"I'm not sure," she replied with a shrug, "about twelve hours. At least that is what the doctors told me."

"You don't know?" he questioned becoming more worried by the second.

"Not specifically," she explained, "I mean I drifted in and out of consciousness for a little while there at the beginning."

"What happened?" he asked her.

"There was a car crash," she said with a shrug as if she was trying to brush off the incident.

Daniel closed his eyes for a second, and he saw a pair of blinding lights shining on his eye lids. He watched as his memory replayed the image of a car speeding towards him. Then abruptly the image vanished, and he knew that was when the collision had occurred.

"I think I remember," he replied slowly, "what happened after that."

"I'm not entirely sure," Katharine admitted, "the crash knocked you out and sort of dazed me." As she spoke, she slid the marker into her book and placed it on top of the cabinet next to Daniel's bed. It was only then that he realized she had a brace on her right wrist.

"Did that happen in the crash?" he asked her pointing to her wrist.

"Yea," she told him with another shrug, "but it will be fine in a couple of weeks, and until then I can shoot left handed."

"Katharine," he told her, "I'm sorry."

"You didn't do anything wrong," she replied serenely.

"I was driving," he reminded her, "I should have been paying more attention. If I had been I would have been able to-"

"Daniel," she told him no longer smiling, "listen to me very carefully. The same thing would have happened to anyone else who could have been driving. In fact, if anyone else had been driving, it probably would have been worse. You managed to turn the car so it wasn't the direct hit it probably should have been. Doing that was the difference between a few minor injuries and ICU."

Daniel smiled slightly at Katharine's insistence on the issue, and after a few seconds of silence, he spoke again. "What did the doctors tell you?" he asked unsure of how to phrase his question without using terms a more severe medical situation than he hoped either one of them were in.

"I had a very slight conclusion and was dazed, but never officially lost conciseness," she explained, "and I have a fractured," she emphasized the word fractured, "wrist. You have a mild concussion and were out for a couple of hours. Well actually you were out for about twelve hours, but only two or three of those were because of the crash. The others were because you fell asleep. Either way neither one of us will have any more brain damage now than we did before."

"Funny," Daniel told her with nod of his head.

"Thank you," she replied with a grin.

"No problem," he told her. There was another pause. "What do we know about the loon who was driving the other car?"

"Well," she told him, "we know very little about the," she paused for a moment to consider her phrasing, "to use your word, loon, who was driving the other car. A passing motorist saw the crash, and said that the car that hit us just drove by. The witness, who, by the way, we owe a thank you because he was the one who reported the accident to 911, said that the other car looked like it had some damage. The cops checked the area, but didn't find it."

"So basically," Daniel concluded drawing on his fairly limited knowledge about the way cops processed hit and runs, "Unless something turns up relatively soon this becomes a cold case and we might never know what happened."

"I'm sure the cops are doing the best they can," Katharine assured him.

"I know," Daniel replied, "It's just a little frustrating."

"True," she agreed, "but hit and runs aren't really the top of the list of important crimes."

"You forget," he told her with a sort of smile, "This is Carmel not New York or DC. We have less people and less of a crime rate. Hit and runs are a bit of variation for a department that mostly deals with break-ins and car thefts and bad checks."

"Right," Katharine replied with a nod of her head, "I forgot that, but still I'm guessing that, even in Carmel, a crime with no leads becomes cold very quickly. Well okay not no leads," she corrected herself, "they confiscated our rental car for the investigation; so we are going to have to rent a new one."

"And pay for the old one because I didn't buy the ten dollar insurance," Daniel remarked a little bitterly.

"Well no," Katharine said with a shrug, "I ignored you and bought it anyway because I'm paranoid."

"Brilliant," Daniel replied grinning at her, "Dr. Saroyan will be pleased that the Jeffersonian doesn't have to pay for that one."

At the mention of Camille's name, Katharine suddenly froze, and her eyes widened as if she was realizing something for the first time. "I forgot to call Camille," Katharine told him still shocked at the realization, "We were supposed to check in when we got to the hotel in Ordway, which was supposed to be," she glanced down and her watched and grimaced, "over thirteen hours ago."

"You might want to call her," Daniel pointed out, and Katharine glared at him, but she pulled out her cell phone anyway.

"Damn it," she muttered looking down at the screen, "I have seven missed calls."

"All for our fearless leader?" Daniel asked with a small smile.

"Yep," she replied with a nod, "You probably have some too."

"Well," Daniel said trying to act innocent, "I think this conversation has exhausted me. So why don't you call her while I take a nap."

"You're fine," she grumbled even as she punched Cam's speed dial on her phone. Daniel just smirked at her.

_**So what did you think? I think we will get to see Camille and Katharine talking next chapter. That should be fun to write. I'm not entirely sure when I'll get to, but whatever. I hoped you liked this one.  
Oh and in case it wasn't clear: the name of the town to which they are going and in which the victim/her family live/lived is named Ordway.  
Anyway, Please reviews.**_


	14. A New Theory

_**Chapter 14. I have to apologize for this chapter. I had been waiting for nearly a month for a chance to write it…which I had already done a month ago and then completely forgot about… Anyway I hope you like the this chapter because I find it actually rather enjoyable.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Camille. I do own Katharine and Daniel.  
Spoilers: None**_

_It is that, but really, it's about how we don't recognize the little things in life, or appreciate the little things in life like belonging. A sense of belonging is a big thing today.__  
James Caan_

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Camille's head jerked up off her desk. She had come back to her office after her conversation with Sweets instead to going home because, no matter what wisdom there was in the young man's words, she could not shake the feeling that he was wrong and something bad had happened. She grabbed her ringing cell phone off the desk and glanced at the caller ID. It was Katharine. She was not entirely sure whether she was angry or relieved as she hit the talk button and put the phone to her ear.

"Dr. Burn," she greeted her employee, doing her very best to keep a neutral and professional tone.

"Dr. Saroyan," Katharine replied trying to sound as if she expected this to be a normal conversation. However, she was not completely able to mask the hint of trepidation in her voice.

"You were supposed to check in thirteen hours ago," Camille pointed out.

"I know," Katharine told her boss, "Things got really complicated, and I kind of forgot."

"And I suppose you and Daniel both forgot to answer your phones too," Camille asked disapprovingly.

"No," Katharine replied calmly. She was not particularly rattled by Camille's method of questioning. It was not that unexpected, and it was Cam's job to ask these questions. "They were both on silent because we were in the hospital." It was only after she had finished the sentence that Katharine realized it was perhaps not the best way to start her explanation of what had happened.

"You were in the hospital?" Camille asked suddenly finding it a little harder to keep her voice level.

"I should probably start at the beginning," Katharine said quickly.

"That would be good," Camille agreed mildly.

"Right," Katharine remarked more to herself than to her boss. Then she launched into the story of the crash and the following few hours. Camille listened to the story silently and did not speak until it was finished.

"You said the injuries were trivial," Camille pointed out, "what does that mean?"

"We both have mild concussions, and I have a fractured wrist," Katharine explained, "but there will be no lasting damage, and the car was insured."

There was a pause where Camille considered her next question very carefully because if she asked it, it had the potential to open a whole can of worms. Still she knew that it had to be asked due to the circumstances of the 'accident.'

"Do you think that this has something to do with the reason you and Dr. Webber are in California?" she asked finally.

"You think whoever killed the Douglas girl has something to do with this?" Katharine asked, her surprise mirrored on Daniel's face which was turned towards her as he listened intently to her every word.

"It's a possibility that we have to consider," Camille replied not giving an opinion either way, "especially given that if Daniel had not turned the car away you both might have been killed."

"But if it was a deliberate attempt to kill us," Katharine said slowly, thinking though the implications as she spoke, "that would mean whoever did this had a wide reach and a snitch in at least one if not two police departments.

"It also probably means that he won't stop until he has gotten what he wanted," Camille reminded Katharine, "and that means you and Daniel need to watch each others backs."

"You know we will," Katharine remarked more as an off-hand comment than as an actual defensive remark.

"True," Camille replied with a smile the younger woman could not see.

"That said," Katharine continued interrupting Camille's train of thought, "Daniel and I are planning to drive out to Ordway as soon as he is released from the hospital, and we can find a new rental car. That should put us in Ordway in the late afternoon or early evening. We were supposed to get there yesterday evening, but as no one knew we were coming, I guess it doesn't really make all that much of a difference."

"When you say 'we'," Daniel pointed out to her, "you really mean 'you' because I don't remember this conversation at all."

"Oh be quiet," Katharine hissed at him.

"I'm sorry," Camille said, "I didn't catch that last bit."

"Umm," Katharine replied glaring at Daniel, "It wasn't directed at you."

"Alright," Camille replied smirking slightly, "well thank you for the update."

"Any time," Katharine replied for lack of any clue of how to respond more appropriately.

"Actually I would prefer if you two didn't try to make this a regular occurrence," Camille replied.

"Right," Katharine replied with a laugh, "we'll do our best."

"Excellent," Camille replied, "Call me when you get to Ordway."

"Will do," Katharine told her and with that both women disconnected their phones.

Camille finally allowed the relief to seep over her. Whatever calm she may have been able to portray had been a lie. The truth was that she had been worried. After all, what team leader would not have been worried by the prospect of two of their team members going off the grid?

In some ways, Camille supposed that the information she had received from Katharine had made things more complicated and given her more to worry about in terms of her team's safety, but somehow it did not feel that way at the moment. All that she really cared about was that she knew where everyone was and that they were safe or at least not dead or grievously wounded.

Then something occurred to her that she had not noticed immediately. For the first time since the new team had formed, she had replaced the article 'the' with the possessive pronoun 'her.' Camille smiled at that.

It might not seem like an awful lot to anyone else, but to her it seemed like the first step towards something greater.

_**So what did you think? I liked it. Please review and I will try to get a new chapter up in less than a month this time.**_


	15. A New Problem

**Chapter 15. Yes I know it has been something like 3 months since I last updated this story…I'm sorry about that but things have been busy so…Whatever here is the next chapter. I hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I do actually own both Katharine and Daniel so…**

**Spoilers: None**

_"Acts of kindness may soon be forgotten, but the memory of an offense remains."_

_Proverb_

"Daniel," Katharine said idly to her companion after about a quarter of an hour of silence. There was no response from the driver's side of the car. "Daniel," she repeated a little louder thinking that he might not have heard her, but there was still no response. Slowly she turned to look at him.

Daniel was staring determinedly out the windshield, his eye moving quickly in an attempt to take in every aspect of their surroundings. His hands were holding the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were starting to turn white. Everything about him was stiff and attentive as if he was scared relaxing could lead to some great catastrophe.

"Pull over," she told him quietly knowing perfectly well that he could hear her.

"Please stop distracting me," he said without looking away from the road even for a second, and Katharine sighed.

"Pull over now," she said more forcefully than before, and Daniel did as she asked. She waited until the car had come to a complete stop on the side of the two-lane road they had been driving down, then she spoke again. "Get out."

Daniel did not question her authority. Instead he did as she instructed him, and waited patiently for her to get out of the passenger side and walk around the front of the car. The moment she was in range, Katharine lifted her left hand and slapped Daniel on the back of his head.

"Ouch," he exclaimed annoyed, "What was that for?"

"We are going to be in Ordway in less than an hour," she told him, "and we need to be strictly professional when we get there."

"I am being professional," Daniel said glaring at her, "You're the one who has the problem."

From the look on Katharine's face you would have thought he had slapped her in face, and for a few seconds it seemed he had shocked her into silence. However she quickly overcame her initial shock at Daniel's comment and revert to her usual aggressiveness.

"I have the problem?" she retorted starting to get annoyed, "You're the one who's wound tighter than a grandfather clock."

"Maybe that's your problem," he told her, his voice raised a little more than normal, "You don't have any sense of when the situation is serious."

"I do too," Katharine replied, knowing it sounded childish, but not particularly caring.

"No you don't." he said annoyed, "In fact, if you hadn't been distracting me the car crash never would have happened."

Some part of Katharine knew that Daniel was speaking out of stress and did not really mean all of what he was saying. However her anger was already starting to take control of her, and she was not quite sure which parts he really did mean. The stress was starting to get to her too.

"You can't blame that one me," she told him, "you were the one driving the car."

"And why exactly was I doing that?" he asked rhetorically, "Oh yea, because you made me." Katharine did not miss the accusation in his tone.

"So this is all my fault?" she questioned him, the fire in her eyes daring him to answer her affirmatively.

"Yea," Daniel replied, ignoring the silent warning, "It is."

"I guess you think that I killed that little girl too," she asked angrily.

"I don't know that you didn't," he retorted haughtily.

Katharine snapped, and, without considering what she was about to do or what the consequences would be, she lunged forward and tried to hit him. Her anger had affected her ability to aim, and Daniel ducked quickly enough that she only hit air, but it did not matter. The damage had already been done.

Shocked by her own actions, Katharine's fist dropped to her side, and her eyes widened in horror, "Daniel," she started slowly, "I'm so sorry. I didn't—"

He cut her off. "You knew exactly what you were doing," he told her coldly, "Don't insult my intelligence by lying to me. Now we've already wasted enough time here. We need to get to Ordway before out hotel closes. So unless you have something else you would like to discuss, get back into the car." With that he turned on his heel and stalked back towards the car.

"Daniel," Katharine called after him, "Daniel!" He ignored her, but if she was honest with herself, she knew she deserved it. "Shit," she muttered under her breath as she made her way back to the passenger side of the car, "You really blew it this time Katharine." With that she slid into the passenger seat, and prepared herself for what promised to be a very unpleasant car ride.

-0- -0- -0-

She was not disappointed. They did not say a word to each other the entire car ride, and when they pulled into the hotel parking lot, Katharine practically jumped out of the car desperate to escape the nearly deafening science coming from her partner.

"I'm going to go check in," she told him, slinging her bag over her shoulder. He did not respond, but he did not argue either. So Katharine took that as a yes and disappeared into the hotel to retrieve their room keys.

Daniel sighed and followed her. Once inside he quickly located her standing by the check in counter chatting with the woman behind it. "Can have my key?" he asked her extending his hand.

"Which room do you want?' she asked him.

"I don't care," he replied just as coldly as before, "Just give me one." She handed him one of the two plastic entry cards, and he turned away from her before she could say another word.

The woman behind the counter looked at her sympathetically. "Don't worry about it," she reassured Katharine, "he won't stay mad at you forever."

"You sure about that?" Katharine asked the woman, who wore a nametag identifying her as Marg.

"Of course I am," Marg replied with a knowing smile, "they never do."

_**So there you go. I hope you liked it. I have the next chapter written, but I won't post until next week because I have going to Europe for 10 days and won't have Internet access. Please review and I will post the next chapter when I get home.**_


	16. Apperances

_**Chapter 16…okay so I promised you this chapter when I got home so here it is…and on the one had I am disappointed that no one reviewed the last chapter but on the other hand I know that I deserve it because I have been appallingly bad about updating for which I am sorry. Anyway I am on summer vacation now so hopefully I can update more often. Anyway please enjoy.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Camille or Sweets**_

_**Spoilers: None**_

"_Appearances are a glimpse of the unseen."_

_Anaxagoras_

"You better have a good reason for calling me three hours behind schedule," Camille greeted Katharine.

"I'm not calling you behind schedule," Katharine replied raising her eyebrows slightly even though Camille could not see her, given that they were talking via cell phone.

"I asked you to check in at seven," she pointed out to Katharine who almost laughed.

"It's seven here," she told her boss, "We are in a different time zone."

"Right," Camille said shaking her head, "I forgot about that." There was a short pause. "I take it you are in Ordway."

"Yep," Katharine replied.

"And there were no problems," Camille said hoping the answer was no, but knowing from Katharine's lack of immediate response that there had been problems. "What happened?" she asked suspiciously.

Katharine closed her eyes and swallowed before answering. "I screwed up," she admitted quietly.

"What happened?" Camille asked again, but slightly more gently this time.

"Daniel and I got into a fight," Katharine explained, "he's really stressed out about this whole thing, and you know me, I just sort of attract stress, and if there's none to attract I go find some." Camille laughed at that, not because the statement was particularly funny but because it was a very apt description of one of Katharine's slightly destructive character flaws. "Anyway, he was being all sullen, and I had just about had it so I called him on it, and things escalated from them. Then he indirectly accused me of killing the little girl, and I tried to hit him."

Camille was silent for a long moment. "How did he take all that?"

"He won't speak to me," Katharine said with a shake of her head, "unless it is for professional reasons, and even then his tone is colder than the South Pole."

"Okay," Camille said slowly as she assessed the problem, "you haven't compromised anything professionally yet, so that isn't a problem, which means I can talk to you as your friend not your boss."

Katharine felt slightly relieved at hearing that just because it meant there was someone friendly she could talk to. "And what do you say as my friend?"

"I say that it is probably a miracle that you don't have minor breakdowns on a more regular basis," Camille replied honestly.

"Thanks?" Katharine replied slowly, "I think."

"I meant that in a good way," Camille said with a slight chuckle as she realized how it must have sounded, "It's just that your life has been complicate," they both knew that was an understatement, "and you do have slightly self destructive tendencies."

"I'm not gonna argue with that," Katharine replied, "but I still shouldn't have tried to hit Daniel."

"No," Camille agreed, "you shouldn't have, but you did. So instead of trying to make it so that never happened, you need to talk to Daniel in a civilized tone and work this out. You are both reasonable people who had a bad day. It doesn't need to define your relationship."

"Thanks Camille," Katharine said after considering her friend's solution for a moment, "I'll work on that."

"Great," Camille replied with a smile Katharine could not see, "but when you get back you should considered talking to Sweets."

"No," Katharine told her vehemently, "the only way you will get me to talk to him is if you make it mandatory."

"And if I make it mandatory?" Camille asked, realizing that it probably wouldn't be a bad thing to have Sweets talk to all the members of her new team.

"Then I'll go, but I will lie to him if it makes him clear me faster," she replied honestly.

"So basically," Camille surmised, "Sending a psychologist to a psychologist is a waste of everybody's time?"

"If I'm the psychologist in question," Katharine agreed, "then yes it is."

"What am I going to do with you?" Camille asked rhetorically.

"Not fire me for attempting to punch my partner in the face," Katharine suggested hopefully.

"As long as he doesn't file a complaint against you," Camille assured her, "I don't have to do anything and given that you missed I think you're fine. Especially given that I don't think that Daniel would report you even if you had broken his nose."

"I don't know," Katharine told her, "he's pretty mad at me."

"He'll get over it," Camille reassured her, "just give him a little space and time, and then talk it out with him."

"Okay," Katharine said with a nod, "Well you probably want to leave the office, and I want to reread the case file before tomorrow. So have a good evening, and I will check in tomorrow."

"Alright," Camille agreed, "Good night."

"Night," Katharine said, and both women disconnected their phones.

Slowly Katharine dropped her cell phone on the bed next to her and walked out onto her hotel room's balcony. She walked to the very edge and looked over the railing. The sun was starting to set, and in the light of its dying rays, she could a lake. Objectively, she knew that a tragedy had occurred there a little less than a decade ago but, looking out over the peaceful waters, that seemed hard to believe.

The scene in front of her seemed more likely to belong on the front of a postcard, than it did to belong inside a case file for a homicide double kidnapping. Still there was no denying that something very bad had happened on the shores of that peaceful lake. She did not know what it was yet, but hopefully someone would be able to shed some light on the issue.

Katharine looked out over the lake one last time, before she turned to return to her room. Somehow she knew this was just the tip of the iceberg. Tomorrow they would start digging and probably find more dirt than they ever wanted to know about…

That was tomorrow's problem for tonight the lake was simply beautiful scenery.

_**So what did you think? I don't know if anyone is actually still reading this story, but if you are please review just so I know you're out there…Thanks.**_


	17. Psych Eval: Elise

**_Chapter 17. Here is the new chapter…not really a lot to say about it except that I had limited control in writing it…it has a mind of its own…anyway I hope you enjoy it._**

_**To KandiiKane96: I know I said I would have it up by last weekend…I really can tell Wednesday and the weekend apart things just got complicated…thanks for waiting.**_

_**Disclaimer: I own Elise not Sweets**_

_**Spoilers: None**_

"_Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A world of optimism and hope. A "you can do it" when things are tough."_

_Richard M. DeVos_

Sweets was thumbing idly though the latest copy of _Physiologists Weekly _when there was a soft knock on his door. "Come in," he called quickly shifting, so he was sitting up straight in his chair.

Slowly the door swung open, and Elise poked her head around the corner looking as if she was not sure she was supposed to be there. "Do you have a moment, Dr. Sweets?" she asked politely, and Sweets was slightly shocked, not by her request, but by her respectful tone. Over the past few years he had grown so accustomed to almost everyone looking down on him that he forgot that was not a normal situation.

"Sure," he said hurriedly setting his magazine down on the table, "What can I do for you today Miss Dogood?"

"Please," she told him with a charming smile as she sat down on the couch opposite him, "Call me Elise."

"Alright," he told her, smiling back without realizing he was doing so, "What can I do for you today Elise?"

"Dr. Saroyan has made psychological evaluations mandatory for everyone on the team," Elise explained.

"For everyone on the team?" Sweets asked emphasizing the word everyone.

"Yes," Elise replied, "Why?" Then it hit her. "Oh you're worried about Katharine."

"Not worried," Sweets clarified quickly, "Just a little apprehensive. She can be a bit…" he considered his word choice carefully, "much at times."

"Oh I know," she said with an air of smugness, "I knew her in high school."

"Why don't you tell me about that?" Sweets suggested, figuring that it was as good a place as any to start with the psych evaluation.

"Well in our senior year, I was Prom Queen, and she was Valedictorian," Elise explained as if that explained everything, "but it started long before that. In fact I think it started the first day of freshman year, I don't know what she thinks I did, but she was always terse and sarcastic with me. She wouldn't work with groups with me in class either or talk with me at lunch."

Sweets thought about that for a moment, while he believed every word Elise had just said to be true he still thought there was something missing. He could tell from his interactions with both women that there had to be something that had sparked the feud because otherwise it would have become an arrangement of mutual apathy. Neither would have turned indifference into a fight without provocation, Elise because she was the type who liked peace and harmony, and Katharine because she did not deliberately make her life more complicated without a good cause.

"Was there any kind of confrontation between the two of you?" Sweets asked after a few moments.

"Several over the course of the years," Elise replied fingering the cross hanging around her neck, "I tried so hard not to, but she was just a poor lost soul. I was worried that if she did not find God she would be doomed, but she would never listen to me. I think it was her sister's influence really."

"Did you ever tell her that?" Sweets questioned.

"That she needed to come to Jesus?" Elise asked, "Of course I did, all the time, but she kept reading those dirty books. She never understood that I was just trying to help her."

Sweets found that he was deeply taken with Elise. She was sweet, gentle, and genuinely seemed to care about other people, even her enemies. She also seemed to have a good heart, which had somehow escaped the damage the world had inflicted on so many other people he knew. He found it refreshing to meet someone so alive and happy.

"Okay," he told her, "I have a few routine questions I need to ask and then you can leave."

"Alright," she replied with no hint of annoyance or trepidation.

"What was the nature of your family situation growing up?" he questioned, making a mental note to make a physical list of questions for these interviews.

"It was absolutely normal," she told him serenely, "My mother and my father loved each other, and they loved me and my brother. We lived in our little dream house and had our own little version of the American Dream."

"Interesting," Sweets said nodding his head and looking down and his blank notepad, "Now would you mind telling me the real version of the story?"

"That is the real version," Elise told her eyes widening in shock.

"No," he replied thoughtfully, "I don't think it is. I think you have repeated it so many times, to so many people, for so long, that you have begun to believe it as the truth."

"You think I'm lying?" she asked, still perfectly calm.

"No," he said with a shake of his head, "I just don't think you're telling the whole truth."

She thought about it for a moment. "You are very good at what you do, Dr. Sweets," Elise told him thoughtful, "I can see that. So I will tell you that yes, it was a little more complicated. I just don't like to talk about it."

Sweets looked at her for a moment, and it occurred to him that this was one more blatant difference between Elise and Katharine. When confronted with the need to talk about a bitter part of the past, Katharine, while generally not happy about it, would usually tell you whatever it was or tell you to go away because it was 'not of your damn business.' Elise on the other hand had simply come up with a more pleasant edited version.

He mentally shook himself that was not relevant right now. "So which part do you not like to talk about?" he asked, realizing as he did so just how unfeeling that questions sounded, but Elise did not seem to mind too much.

"My father," she explained, "he loved us all, but he wasn't around a lot because of work, and he missed a lot."

Sweets almost smiled. It rather anticlimactic compared to some pasts of the other people he worked with, and he found that almost as refreshing as Elise's easy charm. "I have a meeting I need to go to," he told her, "but if you want to pick up this up again later I make you an appointment."

"I would like that very much," she replied with a wide smile, "and one more thing."

"Yea," Sweets said watching her as she gracefully stood up.

"May I call you Lance?" she asked him.

"Sure," he replied with a little smile and a nod.

"Well then," she told him, "I will see you later Lance."

_**Yea…so…about that…what did you think? Please review and tell me what you think…**_


	18. Meeting the Douglas's

_**Chapter 18. I know it's been forever since I updated and I'm sorry. I can't promise you that you will see the next chapter anytime soon but I will try. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do actually own all the characters in this chapter give or take**_

_**Spoilers: Nope**_

"_The truth is painful. Deep down, nobody wants to hear it, especially when it hits close to home. Sometimes we tell the truth because the truth is all we have to give. Sometimes we tell the truth because we need to say it out loud to hear it for ourselves. And sometimes we tell the truth because we just can't help ourselves. Sometimes, we tell them because we owe them at least that much."_

_Meredith (Grey's Anatomy)_

"You're late," Daniel greeted Katharine as she entered the lobby.

"I am," she agreed glancing down at her watch, which told her that it was five minutes past their arranged meeting time of eight.

"Well let's go," he told her. His tone warmer and less curt than the night before, but it still wasn't his normal friendly tone.

Katharine thought of what Camille had told her on the phone the night before, but Daniel was already halfway across the lobby by the time she opened her mouth to speak. With a small shake of her head, she followed him out the doors, but as she passed the reception desk she thought she saw Marg wink at her.

"So where are we going at eight o'clock in the morning?" Katharine asked as Daniel pulled the car into traffic or at least the three car line that the small town of Ordway defined as traffic.

"The sheriff's office," he replied, "I want to see if they've found anything else on the case since I last talked to Bonnie and Alexander."

"How long ago was that?" she asked, before remembering that she and Daniel weren't really on speaking terms.

"Years," he told her with a regretful shake of his head, "I moved out of California about a year after the accident happened." He paused for a moment. "I guess I've got to stop calling it the accident."

Katharine was not quite sure how to respond to that, so she just shrugged and the pair lapsed into silence for several minutes. Finally as Daniel pulled into the Sheriff's office parking lot, she spoke again. "About what happened yesterday," she began, but Daniel cut her off with a shake of his head.

"We were both tired, and we both snapped," he said simply, "it shouldn't have happened, but it did, and I'm sorry for that."

"I'm sorry too," Katharine told him, slightly shocked by his response.

"Okay," Daniel said with a nod, "Then lets do this." He got out of the car, and Katharine followed his lead.

"So we're good?" Katharine asked as they walked across the parking lot, trying to clarify what had just happened.

"We're good," he replied, and she grinned at him. He smiled back at her, but a few seconds later he opened the door and the smile slid off his face.

Inside there were three people. A large man with graying hair and a similarly colored beard stood behind the desk, leaving Katharine in no doubt as to who the sheriff was. The other two people were a couple in their early forties. The woman had shoulder length brown hair and currently looked like she was ready to strangle someone. The man looked tired and worn as he pushed his wire rim glasses up his nose.

All three turned as Daniel and Katharine entered the room, and for a moment no one moved. Then without warning the woman walked across the room and pulled Daniel into a tight hug. "Daniel," she told him, "I didn't know you were coming."

"It was kind of last minute," Daniel told her. Katharine stood back against the wall and let Daniel take the lead.

"Well," the woman told him, "I'm glad to see you."

"It's good to see you too," he replied sincerely. He really was glad to see them after so long, he just would prefer that it was under different circumstances.

"Who is this?" the woman asked, gesturing to Katharine.

"Right," Daniel said, still a little stunned because he expect to have a little more prep time before talking to them, "Bonnie, Alexander I would like you to meet Katharine Burn." He paused for a moment. "Katharine I would like you to meet Bonnie and Alexander Douglas."

"Nice to meet you," Katharine said extending her hand to the other two in turn. Daniel's slight evasiveness and the fact that he had not immediately identified their mission there suddenly made much more sense. These were the dead girl's parents.

"So are you and Daniel dating or something?" Bonnie asked trying to sound interested, but both Daniel and Katharine had the distinct impression she was much more focused on something else.

"Let's go with or something," Katharine replied, catching her partner's eye. He gave her a slight nod, grateful that she was letting him reveal their mission there.

"So what are you doing down here so early?" Daniel asked gesturing around the sheriff's office.

"Well Jack," Alexander replied nodding to the sheriff, "called us last night and told us that he had heard a rumor from and buddy in Carmel that there were cops heading out here to reopen the investigation of the accident."

"So you came down here to wait for them?" Katharine asked forgetting for a moment that she was letting Daniel do the talking.

"We figured it would be the first place that any cop looking to dig into a small town accident would come," Alexander replied with a nod.

"What right do they have?" Bonnie bust out suddenly, "to come in here and tear open the scars we've tried so hard to mend. It happened eight years ago. What could they possible know now that they didn't know then? Of for that matter why do they suddenly give a damn now? Not even one cop came from Carmel, and now two high and mighty cold heartless bastards from D.C. of all places want to come in here and dig everything."

Daniel opened his mouth to speak but found he could not do it. He looked to Katharine for helped, and she knew what he wanted her to do. So slowly she turned back to Bonnie and Alexander.

"Those two high and mighty cold heartless bastards from D.C.," Katharine said, finding that even she was having trouble telling the Douglas's the truth, "are Daniel and me."

_**I actually really want to write the next chapter so you may see it soon-ish but no promises…still I'll update sooner if you review. ;-) **_


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